The Angel's Pace
by AlexanderCastle
Summary: After Kronos's defeat, Nico searches for a way to bring his sister, Bianca, back to life.


**Disclaimer: I do not own PJO or any of it's characters. I do, however, own the ghost Nico questions as to Bianca's whereabouts.**

******Dedicated to the amazing BitterGlitter/Tori, who gave me the idea for this story. She trusted me to create something based on her idea and I can never express how much that means to me.**

**Setting - The Underworld, shortly after the end of the Titan War.**

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**-Three hours ago-**

_"__The Doors are open, Death is missing…"_

Those very same words, spoken to the black-haired boy by the ghost of a long-dead demigod who he had summoned, had given Nico di Angelo hope beyond anything he had ever felt before. If the ghost had meant what he thought he meant by 'Doors', then this was his chance to bring back someone who should never have died. It would be the perfect chance for him to resurrect Bianca.

**-Two hours ago-**

He shoved his way roughly through the mass of spirits, one hand clenched tightly around the hilt of the black Stygian Iron sword at his side, the other clenched tightly in the pocket of his black overcoat. Several of the ghosts appeared to want to protest at his rough treatment of their souls, but his sword told them differently, told them that the kid was definitely something to be feared. His half-hearted mutterings of apology were drowned out by the distant screaming of souls being tortured, a sound which he was still not entirely used to (and, which just so happened to be a large part of the reason why, despite the fact that he tended to feel more at home in The Underworld than he ever had in New York or at either of the two Camps, he would never be completely at ease there). "I am so glad that Bianca did well enough in her life to achieve Elysium…" he muttered under his breath.

He never broke his stride even for a second, never even stopped to consider exactly how he was actually going to get Bianca free from The Underworld, much less thinking about what he'd do if she didn't want to go back to the world of the living with him. "No. I've got to stop thinking like that. She will want to get out of here. I just have to stay positive".

He almost smirked to himself. _The irony of that last statement… Being positive had led him only into hurt and tragedy. His sister, the one true parental figure in his life, had left him without a second glance, swearing eternal loyalty to the goddess Artemis. And then she had sacrificed herself on her first quest, dying before the eyes of the one other person that Nico thought he would truly trust, and the person who had sworn on his life to protect Bianca. Percy Jackson…_

_Enough of this, Nico. Focus on finding your sister. That's why you're here. Not to let yourself get bogged down by such un-necessary thoughts._ he told himself sternly. He was so wrapped up in his thoughts that he failed to notice the crowds of ghosts thinning out as he drew closer and closer to the gleaming gates that marked his destination, only looking up once he reached out to shove another ghost away and his hand met nothing but empty air.

"Here goes nothing".

Releasing his hand from the hilt of his sword, he stepped easily through the gates and into Elysium.

**-37 minutes ago-**

"Where is she?"

The ghost in front of him cowered away from the furious teenage boy with the Stygian Iron sword. Unwilling to let his guard down even momentarily, Nico's grip on the blade tightened. "I will not ask you again. Where the hell is my sister?"

"The daughter of Hades? She's gone".

"What do you mean, she's gone?" Nico snapped angrily.

"Exactly that. Your sister's gone. She chose to bathe in the River Lethe. Her memories of her past life are gone. She's been reborn".

The son of Hades muttered something rude in Italian under his breath. He definitely hadn't expected to hear that. "How long ago?"

"Long enough".

Nico muttered something under his breath again, twisting the skull-shaped ring on his finger in his frustration. This was getting him nowhere. Sure, his sister was alive again. But she'd had all of her memories wiped, was living under some other name, with some other appearance. Gods, she technically wasn't even his sister any more. Bianca di Angelo no longer existed, and, no matter how hard he tried, he would never be able to summon her ghost again. If only he'd just been a little faster, then maybe…

**-Present-**

It was the ghost of a teenage girl sitting alone under a cluster of the black poplar trees that littered the dull black Fields of Asphodel that caught Nico's attention. He could immediately tell that there was something different about her. Something that set her apart from the others. Something that reminded him of Bianca. Within what was probably a few minutes, he stood in front of her. She looked up as she felt his shadow fall over her and, as they locked eyes, he felt as if he was reading her whole life. "You're different," he said. "A child of Pluto. You remember your past".

"Yes," she said, agreeing with him. "And you're alive".

Nico studied her like he was reading a menu, deciding whether or not to order. "I'm Nico di Angelo" he said simply. "I came looking for my sister. Death has gone missing, so I thought… I thought I could bring her back and no-one could notice".

"Back to life?" the girl asked him, curious. "Is that possible?"

"It should have been" the son of Hades responded, sighing. "But she's gone. She chose to be reborn into a new life. I'm too late".

"I'm sorry".

_Don't be…_ the boy thought grimly. It was then that he knew what he had to do. Hazel Levesque, the daughter of Pluto, deserved a second chance at life. And Nico was going to make damned sure that she got it. He held out his hand to her. "You're my sister too. You deserve another chance. Come with me".


End file.
